'Buhari Has Ordered Prosecution Of Babachir Lawal' - Osinbajo

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babachir lawal.

“The president has directed that the SGF and former DG of NIA should be prosecuted”

For those thinking that sacked Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal and former Director-General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency have been let off the hook, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, wants you to have a re-think.

Osinbajo said on Sunday that President Muhammadu Buhari had prevailed on anti-corruption agencies to prepare criminal charges against Lawal, after being indicted of stealing millions of emergency funds.

Osinbajo said Ayodele Oke, was also recommended for prosecution.

Oke was the NIA head when a large vault of money was found in an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos in April 2017.

“The president has directed that the SGF and former DG of NIA should be prosecuted,” Osinbajo was quoted as saying by the News Agency of Nigeria at a Lagos dialogue organised by Christian youth affiliated to the GRILL, Ikeja Branch.

The government has faced criticism for its snail progress in bringing charges against Lawal, who was first found to have stolen millions of IDP funds using firms linked to him in a December 2016 Senate investigation.

The president initially argued that there was no substance in the Senate investigation, but ultimately succumbed to public pressure to remove him and ward off any political garbage that the administration could suffer from the scandal.

Even though he was removed from office, Lawal continued to associate with Buhari.

The disgraced former government secretary had also been the president’s point man in Adamawa State, as well as a major player in the reelection campaign team.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited Lawal for questioning at least twice, although it was unclear whether any charges were filed.